Reflexology Self Treatment

The practice of reflexology, or something like it, is probably ancient.

This wall painting was found in an Egyptian tomb called "the Physicians Tomb", and it suggests that the people in the painting are practicing an early version of reflexology. The painting dates back to 2330 B.C. The hieroglyphics read -- "Do not let it be painful" says one of the patients and "I do as you please" says one of the practitioners. (Translation mentioned in The History of Reflexology)

There is also evidence of something like reflexology being used in China perhaps as long ago as 4000 B.C., and Native North Americans using a similar method for hundreds of years. (Although none of this should be surprising, in my opinion, since I'm guessing that therapeutic hand and foot massages have always been around in most cultures!)

Around 1900, Dr. William Fitzgerald discovered that if he applied pressure on certain areas of the feet or the hands, then corresponding parts of the body were anesthetized. From this information, he divided the body into 10 "zones" running from the top of the head through the tips of the toes, and through the tips of the fingers. If you divide each foot into five areas, starting at each toe and going all the way up through the body, you get these zones. To see a map of the zones on the feet and the rest of the body read The History of Reflexology

Then a few years later after working with these zones, Eunice Ingham developed a more elaborate map of the feet that corresponded to the rest of the body. In reflexology "The feet are the mirror of the body". (Or the hands or ears, but Eunice felt that working with the feet was more effective.) This is the basis of "modern" reflexology.


Flickr photo Pierre Pouliquin

Photo of Egyptian wall painting is from Wikimedia, and listed as public domain

I am a person who likes to take charge of my own health -- I've always been that way! So I've been pleased to discover that there are a number of resources that can help teach people how to use reflexology for common health problems.

Reflexology self-care is for relatively minor health problems only! If I had a serious illness, I would seek professional help from a certified reflexologist along with appropriate medical treatments. Any ethical reflexologist will tell you that reflexology is not meant to be a substitute for appropriate medical treatment, but that it can assist the body's natural healing mechanisms.

Many of our medical problems originate from tension and stress. In general, reflexology isn't intended to "cure" diseases or ailments, but is mostly used as a relaxation tool. It's a good method of finding where more tension is held in our body. If certain areas of the foot (or hand) are sore or tense, this may indicate that the corresponding parts of the body are stressed. Applying pressure and massage to these "tender" areas of the feet or hands can help to relax the reflexes that are connected to other parts of the body. This promotes the natural healing process.

Benefits of reflexology treatment include improving lymphatic drainage and circulation, relaxing the muscles, and stimulating nerve connections. This results in an overall feeling of well-being.

Reflexology Art Print
Robert Rosenthal
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